Finding Strength In Difficult Times

March 11, 2017

One thing I love about God is how amazingly he works in our lives. I sit here and think about where my life was and the state I was in before Christ. My mind ponders how far I have come from that shattered 24 year old years ago. It was God who pieced me back together and better than before, I must add. I have been through difficult times and faced mountains in my life that seemed completely impossible to conquer. In the heat of those moments I couldn’t see a way out. However, God rescued me and has done so time and time again. (Thank you Lord.)

My experience, and others like it, makes me wonder why on earth is it so hard to trust God? Even after we have seen Him do great things for us? There are moments where I find myself up against this same obstacle. Can you identify with the man who said to Jesus, “I believe, but help my unbelief”? I certainly can! Living life for Christ is not intended to be easy like a Sunday evening stroll. This life is a journey filled with test and trials that God uses to make us more like Him. In James it says to count it all joy WHEN you fall into different tests and trials… not IF. This means it most certainly will happen, and when it does we must know it’s for a reason, and we are to be joyful!

How do you count it all joy when it’s pouring in your life? How can you be happy when your money is funny and your change is looking strange? How do you smile when you feel all alone, or remain thankful when nothing seems to be going your way? I hear the questions you’re asking. I have asked them myself. What has helped me begin to overcome this obstacle is true faith in God, praising God, and keeping my mind on good things.Faith is a tool, and we will need it to remain happy in the midst of trouble. We have to live each day based on who we know God to be. This means we cannot allow our surrounding circumstances to dictate to us what outcome we will see. A situation will never change who God is or diminish His power. Learn to stand firm on the truths that are in God’s word. In order to do this you must know what God says in His Word. Reading and studying the bible for a good understanding is necessary. Talking to God will give us strength, instruction for our life, and encouragement to continue on even when its gets hard; so stay consistent in prayer. Faith gets stronger as we continue to walk with Christ. So keep stepping!

Have you ever had something negative happen to you and found that you continued to replay it over and over again in your head? Do you remember how your thoughts affected your mood or demeanor? I’ve replayed arguments in my head, thinking about what I should have said or did in some moment, or how I would have told a person off. Depending upon the situation, it either made me angrier or sadder. The holidays are a great example of the opposite, howeverthey usually put people in great moods as we anticipate big family dinners, seeing relatives we haven’t seen all year, and buying and receiving gifts. What we put our mind on affects us directly every time. If we’re going to be able to go through the ups and downs of life with joy we must keep our minds on things that are good, positive, uplifting, Godly etc… One way to do this is to avoid focusing on undesirable things. If you’re dealing with a hard situation the best thing for you to do is not focus on it! Don’t dwell on how broke you are, what didn’t work out, or the harsh words someone said to you. Think instead on the good that will come from God intervening in your life and blessing you! Keeping a positive mindset is something that you will succeed at with much effort and prayer. But you will succeed!

God is always worthy of our praise. He is a great God who is loving, merciful and just good to His people. Do not withhold your praise from Him! I have been going through my own trial within this past year and I tell you… I have truly been put to the fire. And in all honesty I was failing the test. I had literally had the wind knocked out of me spiritually. Then my pastor preached a series on praising God. I took those messages and began to immediately apply them to my life. Praising God continuously is what allowed me to get up, dust myself off, and start fighting again. I realized that even in praising God He blesses us. My mindset began to change, my focus came back. It’s like that month God breathed life back into me. I am a witness that giving God praise and worshiping Him will improve your thinking, your mood and your heart. How? Well, that’s just one of the abilities of the awesome God I serve! Try it… I dare ya!

Sometimes God takes us through the fire and through the water and through low places… but it’s not to leave us there. He’s perfecting us ladies. He’s making us. It will be the difficult situations that show us what is really within us. If we allow God to work on us we will come out better, stronger and wiser. That makes the hard experiences worth it.

What is a tough situation you have had to overcome? I’d love to know what things have helped you to keep faith in God. Comment below!

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I'm Ronnie and welcome to LadyEvolves, my lovely corner on the web. A daughter of God first, wife and mother second; I’m a perfect example of imperfection. I’ve been through a lot, learned a lot, and grown a lot and this is where I come to share. Here you will find thoughts, moments, and lessons learned from this journey I'm on called life. I welcome you to join me as we talk about life, love, self growth and Jesus. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @ladyevolves, and let's grow together.

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A Beautiful Life Does Not Just Happen, It Is Built Daily by Prayer, Humility, Sacrifice, and Hard Work. -Unknown